You
by 123HSMluver
Summary: Gabriella is faced with a challenge that she doesn't feel ready to face. She feels worthless and like no one wants her around. Then someone turns her whole perspective around and teaches her that life is all about taking chances.
1. What?

"Gabi, wait up!" a voice called out. Gabriella turned around and grinned at her best friend.

"Hi Tay!" She cried, waving her friend forwards out of the crowd. Taylor squeezed her way through and Gabriella linked arms with the other girl.

"So are you signing up for that singing competition?" Taylor dared to ask, hoping for once Gabriella would get over her fear of performing. No such luck.

"No, of course not." Gabriella replied without a moment's hesitation.

"I think you should! You're an amazing singer! And-!"

"No Tay." Gabriella replied, looking straight ahead of her, a sign that she was done with the subject.

"So how's the homework situation?" Taylor asked quickly, changing the subject in a hurry.

"I have Chemistry, Physics, and a bit of Trig. You?"

"AP English and Physics. I thought for sure you'd finish the Chemistry in class. Why didn't you?"

The two of them chattered on about homework until they were joined by a group of rowdy basketballs, and their conversation was drowned out by loud voices, the loudest being Chad, complaining that he was hungry. Gabriella laughed and then branched off from the group so she could drop off her unneeded books in her locker. Just as she was about to close her locker, a sickly sweet scent caused her to closer her eyes for a moment, annoyed.

"Hi Sharpay." She said quietly, letting her locker close.

"Hey Gabs! What's new?" She chirped, sending a cloud of her perfume in Gabriella's direction, who did her best to conceal her dislike.

"Um, I was just getting ready to meet the gang to go home, so if you'll excuse me…" She mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the popular girl.

"Wait!" Sharpay cried, grabbing Gabriella's slender wrist. "I just wanted you to know that..."

Sharpay trailed off as she paused until she was sure he would hear.

"I just wanted you to know that I think you are an amazing person and I think you did wonderful in the school musical." She finished, smiling at Troy as he walked past her, then frowning as she realized that he wasn't even listening to her.

Gabriella's expression was guarded carefully as she took in what Sharpay had just said, and then giggled internally, noticing that Troy had walked past. So _that's_ what this was all about, she wanted Troy to think she was a good person. It was going to take more then just a few kind words to do that.

"I have to go now, it was nice talking to you." She said quietly, freeing herself from the drama queen's grip.

Sharpay glared as Gabriella slipped past her, and when she was out of sight, Sharpay smirked to herself and stalked off in the direction of the computer lab, a plan already forming in her head.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and sunny, and Gabriella skipped into school with a smile on her face, smiling as she greeted Chad and Taylor who were talking quietly by Taylors locker. They waved in reply and then went back to their conversation.

Realizing that they were in the middle of something, Gabriella went on to her locker to pick up the books she would need for the morning. A tap on the shoulder caused her to spin around, confused.

"Hey Troy!" She greeted, smiling at him.

"Hey Gabriella, how was day yesterday? Sorry I didn't get to talk, dad made me run some errands for him before practice." Troy said, with an eye roll and a dazzling smile.

Gabriella's heart fluttered and she twirled a lock of curly brown hair around her finger.

"It was good, thanks, not too much homework. How was your day?" She replied, timidly.

"Mine was good, I guess." He replied, casually.

Gabriella's heart jumped to her throat as he stared at her for a moment, his gaze smouldering, which caused her knees to become weak.

"So I guess I'll see you in homeroom, okay?" Troy asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, see you in homeroom, Troy." She replied, wrapping her arms around herself as he gave a wave and sauntered off in the direction of the gym.

Gabriella walked quietly to a corner and sat down, placing her books beside her on the floor. She allowed her thoughts to wander to Troy and she felt herself smiling at the way he always went out of his way to ask her how her day went. She had thought at first that he was interested in her, but she dismissed that thought quickly, why would anyone be interested in _her?_ She was a brainiac, a no-body for a jock like Troy. Sure they had sung together in the musical, but after the musical had ended, their relationship had went back to casual friendship, but Gabriella realized as time went on, that she liked Troy more then just a friend, but was too timid to do anything about it.

The bell disturbed Gabriella's thoughts and she stood up quickly, hurrying to her first class. She was one of the first ones there and she took the time alone to look over her homework for the next class.

Once everyone's seats had been taken, the announcements came on and Gabriella listened intently, as did most of their homeroom, seeing as they were looking forward to learning what the lunch special for today was.

_"And now, just a reminder to you East High students, that last week you were told that there was a singing competition being held next week. We have only had a few people sign up, but I am pleased to say that East High will be represented by none other then the marvellous Gabriella Montez! The whole school wishes Gabriella luck in her bold choice."_

Gabriella felt frozen. What?! She hadn't signed up for anything!

"I thought you said you didn't want to sign up for that!" Taylor hissed, from across the way.

"I didn't! It must be some mistake, I didn't sign up for anything!" Gabriella whispered back, her heart pounding at the thought of having to sing in front of everyone.

What was going on?

**AN: Okay! So this is a random idea that I had, I'm not sure how long the fanfic is going to be in total, but I hope that it's worth reading! Was this first chapter okay? Too short? Too boring? There's more coming! Can't wait to see what you think! R&R people!**


	2. Whodunit?

Sharpay was barely able to contain her laughter as she took in the look on Gabriella's face when her name was said on the announcements. The way her eyes grew wide and how her face drained of all colour as she realized what she had to do. All of these things gave Sharpay a thrill and she smirked over at her twin brother, Ryan, who looked a little guilty.

"Oh lighten up, Ry, she'll be fine." She hissed across the aisle. Ryan just glared at her and looked over at Gabriella who sat, staring straight ahead of her, her hands holding her pencil so tight that they were white in colour.

The bell rang and Sharpay raised herself to her feet, smiling in satisfaction as Gabriella stumbled over to the door and into the hallway filled with kids. She then giggled and waved at Troy who had glanced in her direction. He ignored her and hurried out into the hallway to his next class, which Sharpay didn't have with him. But that fact didn't bother her, he would soon be hers, as soon as she got that Montez girl out of her way.

* * *

"Gabriella! Wait up!"

Taylor hurried after her upset best friend after the bell rang. Gabriella didn't turn around and Taylor sped up, finally reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. Gabriella looked at Taylor with a worried expression that she knew only to well; fear.

"Tay, I meant what I said! I didn't sign up for that thing! I don't know who did, but it wasn't me!" She cried, her eyes growing wider as she thought that maybe her best friend was mad at her.

"Hey, relax." Taylor said, putting a soothing hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "I know you didn't, but I think you should do the show! I think it'd be a good experience for you! You did the musical after all, right?"

"Well yeah, but…but that was with Troy!" Gabriella protested. "I'll be up there by myself and I don't know if I could do that! You know I hate performing! The only reason I did the musical is because Troy agreed to do it with me!"

Taylor thought for a moment.

"Well I'm sure if you asked him, he would be willing to come and give you support for the audience, am I right?" Taylor inquired.

"But still…I'll be up there all alone…" Gabriella trailed off, her imagination running away with all the things that could go wrong. "And besides, I'm a lousy singer anyway, why would Troy want to come and support someone who sucks?"

And without looking at Taylor, Gabriella disappeared into her next class, leaving Taylor standing amongst the others, slightly sad that her friend had such low self confidence.

* * *

Sharpay put the last of her textbooks in her double locker, admiring herself in her mirror, before slamming the lockers shut and stalking into the cafeteria to her usual table. Ryan was already there, munching on his lunch.

"So how did Gabriella look in math?" Sharpay asked as soon as she was within hearing range.

"She looked pretty sad, actually." Ryan answered, picking at his rice. Sharpay smirked and sat down beside her brother.

"Fabulous." She said, smiling.

Just then Troy walked into the cafeteria and Sharpay flipped her hair over her shoulder in an effort to make herself noticeable. Troy didn't even look in her direction as he laughed at something Chad said. Sharpay sighed in delight at the way his teeth were a brilliant white and the way his blue eyes danced when he smiled.

Gabriella followed behind him with Martha and Kelsei in tow, Gabriella listening to Martha and Kelsei talk, but not contributing to the conversation herself. Sharpay was happy to see that her brother had been right, Gabriella did indeed look very down and Sharpay found herself hoping that it was enough to distract Troy from Gabriella.

It was obvious to everyone but Gabriella that Troy had a huge crush on her. Personally, Sharpay found it disgusting how smitten he seemed to be over that…that…braniac and Sharpay knew that herself and Troy would look fabulous together which is why she was doing everything in her power to get her and Troy together.

"Sharpay? Are you sure you made the right decision?" Ryan's voice interrupted Sharpays thoughts and she turned to her brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah of course. Gabriella hates performing and since Troy is in love with Gabriella, we need to get him to love _me_ instead. And by signing up Gabriella in the competition she'll get so nervous that Troy will be disgusted and turn to me instead! Brilliant isn't it?"

Ryan just said nothing, turning to his lunch once more. Sharpay smiled and looked down at the golden basketball boy who was sitting on one side of the cafeteria with his basketball buddies surrounding him and the girls sitting across the way.

Neither of them noticed the girl behind them who was glaring daggers into Sharpay's back. Taylor huffed in anger and then stomped down the stairs to the table where we friends sat, resisting the urge to dump her fries over Sharpay's head.

She was sorry to see that Gabriella still looked upset and she sighed, knowing she'd have to tell Gabriella who had signed her up.

"Hey Gabs?" She asked, setting her tray down beside her best friend. Gabriella looked up from her salad and forced a smile at Taylor.

"Hey Tay, what's up?"

"I know who signed you up for the competition." Taylor responded, playing with her hands in her lap. "It was Sharpay."

Gabriella opened her mouth and then closed it after a moment when nothing came out, turning instead to look behind her. Sharpay kept her gaze calm as she locked eyes with Gabriella, seeing the sadness and slight panic in her arch rival's eyes. Then without a word Gabriella got up from her seat and left the cafeteria, her face looking downcast.

Sharpay groaned as she saw Troy hurry after her into the hallway. This was not going according to plan! Troy was supposed to frown at Gabriella and tell her to stay out of his life, not go after her to tell her that it was going to be okay!

She'd have to do something about that.

**AN: Okay so I know I took a while to update and I know this chapter was a bit boring, but it'll start to get going soon, and the next chapter has a little bit of fluff in it. Remember Troyella isn't together yet and Gabriella doesn't know that Troy likes her. And I know I switched POV's a lot, but I hope it wasn't too hard to follow. R&R people! Thanks! Peace out! :]**


	3. The Doors Have Ears

"Gabriella! Gabriella, wait!" Troy called, hurrying after the curly haired girl. She paused to glance over her shoulder and then offered a small smile when she saw who it was.

"Hey Troy, no offense, but I'm not in the mood to talk right now." She murmured so softly that she was sure he couldn't hear her.

Regardless he caught up to her and grabbed her arm to keep her from moving away. Gabriella looked up at him in confusion at the sparks that flew through her veins at his touch.

"Gabriella, I heard what happened, and I'm sorry that she signed you up for it, but you're going to do it right?"

"Gabriella laughed sadly.

"Me? Sing a solo? In front of an audience? Troy I could hardly even do the musical with you. There's no way that I could sing by myself." Gabriella explained.

Troy smiled at her, and shook his head.

"Gabriella, I know you can do this and deep down I'm sure you do too." Troy told her, while Gabriella was still marvelling over his smile.

"I-I don't think I can." Gabriella mumbled, dropping her gaze to the floor.

Troy touched her cheek and she looked up with tear filled eyes. He sighed and she bit her lip, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Gabi, I really think that you can do this, but you have to believe in yourself. Sharpay just wants to see you fail right? Well don't give her the chance! Work with Kelsei and pick a song that you know you can do, or that means something to you. Go to that competition and blow them away." Troy said, his voice quiet, but strong.

Gabriella felt herself believe him and a timid smile stretched across her cheeks. Troy grinned back and raised an eyebrow.

"So what do you think? Are you going to give it a try?"

"I'll try it, yes. But don't be holding any hope that I'll win. I'm not a very good singer."

"What are you talking about?" Troy cried in disbelief. "You were amazing in the musical and I'm sure you'll be even better without me ruining the song for you."

Gabriella giggled and sighed.

"Okay, I'll go in and talk to Kelsei. If she's willing to help me then I'll give it a chance okay?"

"Atta girl." Troy replied, clapping her on the shoulder.

Again, the sparks confused Gabriella, but she shook them off and went into the cafeteria again with Troy beside her, asking her how the rest of her morning had been.

* * *

Sharpay frowned as she saw Troy and Gabriella walk back into the cafeteria, both seeming happier. The two of them sat back down at their table and Sharpay saw Taylor quickly give Gabriella a hug, saying something that made Gabriella smile and nod.

The rest of lunch passed uneventfully and after two more boring classes the day was over.

Sharpay stomped out of her sixth period class and basked in the attention that she got from Zeke and countless other boys in the hallway. She smiled and gave a little wave towards Zeke and then giggled internally as he fell into the locker behind him in shock, a dreamy smile on his lips.

* * *

"Of course I'll help you! Do you have a song in mind?" Kelsei asked Gabriella as they sat down on the piano bench at school the next morning.

Gabriella shook her head and smiled over at her quiet friend.

"Well…there is one that I've liked for a while that I want to use, but I don't think I should."

"Why not? What is it called?" Kelsei asked, offering Gabriella a teacup. Gabriella drank the hot liquid and smiled down at her lap.

"Well…it's a love song and I don't want anyone to guess who it's for." She murmured, blushing a bright red.

"Who _is_ it for?" Kelsei probed, looking intently at the blushing girl before her.

"Does it matter?" Gabriella asked, taking another sip of the tea.

"Kelsei shook her head.

"No, of course not." She assured her. "I was just curious, is all."

Then before Gabriella had even known what had happened she had already blurted out the name.

"It's for Troy."

Kelsei smiled and set her cup down so she could take the now trembling cup out of her friends shaking hands.

"D-don't tell anyone, please." Gabriella begged, blinking rapidly as panic started to overwhelm her.

"You can count on me. I would never tell a soul. But Gabriella, just so you know…Troy likes you too." Kelsei said quietly.

Gabriella raised her shocked eyes to meet Kelsei's.

"What? How do you know?"

"Well first of all, he never would have done the musical with you if you hadn't, and you should see the way he looks at you. He's completely in love with you."

Gabriella opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She was completely flabbergasted. **(AN: Ha love that word!)** Troy liked her? How could he like her? _No one_ liked geeky old Gabriella. She was the freaky math girl, not some popular cheerleader. Why would Troy be interested in her?

"Are you sure? Why would he like me? I'm not popular and I'm quiet and I'm too smart for my own good." Gabriella rattled off.

"There's more to him then what his reputation shows. He proved that by getting involved in the musical. And Gabriella, I know this is hard to even think about, let alone do, but I think you should tell him how you feel because I guarantee that he'll feel the same way you do, and if not then you can tell him that I set you up to it."

Gabriella laughed.

"I don't think that will be necessary. And I'll think about it."

The two of them laughed relaxed to enjoy some tea and talking about whatever came up between them, topics ranging from who liked who, to how each of them were doing.

* * *

Sharpay could hardly believe her luck as she listened in on Kelsei and Gabriella's conversation. Gabriella had unknowingly just given Sharpay the ammunition that she needed to make sure that Troy didn't end up with some brainiac.

"Well Montez, you are going to regret ever speaking those words out loud." Sharpay whispered to no one, smirking to herself as she paraded off to find her twin brother.

**AN: Alright so another chapter up. Sharpay's being really evil, I know, but she has to be, I mean come on...she's Sharpay! Next up, Sharpay makes life pretty darn bad for Gabriella. R&R people!!!**


	4. Confidence Issues

"Just make sure that this gets played at the beginning of the day." Sharpay growled, handing the tape recorder over to the dork standing by the P.A system. He nodded and then placed the tape recorder carefully into his pocket. He grinned at Sharpay who just rolled her eyes and paraded out of the office.

It had been two days since Sharpay had overheard Gabriella and Kelsei talking in the music room and today Sharpay had set her plan into action. Sharpay's smirk grew bigger as she thought about how Gabriella would react when she had realized that Sharpay had heard what she had said outside of the music room, and Sharpay laughed to herself about how Gabriella would react when she heard her own _voice_ say those very same words that she had said to Kelsei-thinking that they were private-over the P.A system, courtesy of Sharpay's tape recorder that she just happened to have that day.

Sharpay came back to the present as she passed her brother, Ryan, on her way to homeroom. Ryan glared at her, recognizing the satisfaction on his sister's face. Sharpay just chuckled and continued on her way, oblivious to Ryan's hatred of the idea to make Gabriella suffer.

Ryan fiddled with the hat in his hands as he remembered what Gabriella had looked like when her name had been on the announcements. He could only imagine how she would react when she heard her own confession broadcasted to the entire school. He shied away from the thought, guilt making his stomach twist in discomfort.

* * *

Gabriella took a sip of water from where it sat beside her on the piano stool, and smiled over at Kelsei, who was still playing through the piece that Gabriella had brought in the previous day.

"That was great Kelsei! You sure are good at sight reading!*****"

"Thanks! You did great too!" Kelsei replied.

"Yes but I've seen it before. You haven't. So you are the best at this!" Gabriella insisted. Kelsei just sighed and smiled at Gabriella, but inside she was worried. Gabriella would not accept any compliment, instead turn it around so that everyone else _but_ her looked good.

"Let's try it one more time." Kelsei said, poising her hands over the black and white keys on the piano.

Gabriella nodded and took a deep breath as Kelsei played the familiar intro to the song.

_The words have been drained from this pencil_

_Sweet words that I wish to give you_

_And I can't sleep._

_I need to tell you_

_Goodnight._

Kelsei stopped again and looked over at Gabriella to see that she had her eyes closed and a content smile on her face that was only there when Gabriella felt completely and utterly at ease. The only two times that Kelsei had seen that expression was when she was singing, and when she was with Troy.

The bell rang and Gabriella's peaceful expression was destroyed by the coming back of reality. She hurried to grab her bag and then with a quick goodbye to Kelsei she hurried off Taylor's locker where she was meeting her to study before class.

* * *

"Okay so…x is equal to…five?" Taylor asked, as her final review question. Gabriella checked the back of the book and then grinned up at her best friend.

"Yup! You're going to ace this thing, Tay!"

"So will you, Gabs."

"I'll probably do good, but you'll do much better." Gabriella said, not realizing how low her own self esteem was.

Taylor looked at her best friend with a worried expression but quickly wiped it from her face as the final bell rang, signalling them to go to class. The two of them grabbed their books and hurried off to homeroom, their minds on entirely different topics. Taylor was thinking about how to boost Gabriella's self esteem, while Gabriella was thinking about how to multiply x by y.

Gabriella sat down in her seat behind Taylor and then happened to look up just as Troy entered the classroom. He smiled over at her and her heart fluttered in her chest at his thoughtfulness. Gabriella smiled back and then quickly looked away as he nodded to Chad.

The bell rang soon after and Gabriella turned her attention to the announcements that echoed throughout the classroom.

"_Good morning East High! I would like to inform you of an event that will be coming to our school very soon. An event in which our very own Gabriella Montez will be participating in…"_

Gabriella gulped as majority of the classroom turned to look at her, including Troy, who was smiling in encouragement, his expression full of support and confidence. Eventually everyone turned back around to hear what the lunch menu was today and Gabriella sighed in relief.

_Maybe Troy's right._ Gabriella thought. _Maybe I can do this._

Taylor, as if she heard Gabriella's thoughts, turned around to smile at her best friend and Gabriella smiled back, feeling hope rise in her. Kelsei caught her eye as well and Gabriella's smile grew.

There was a bustle of static as the speaker was moved and a new voice entered the classroom.

"My name is Samuel Moom and I am here on a special request from none other then the wonderful Sharpay Evans. As the principal was saying we have a student participating in the singing competition and Sharpay gave me a sample for you to hear, just so you know what you're in for."

Gabriella's eyebrows shot up. Since when did Sharpay do anything nice for Gabriella? Since when did Sharpay do anything nice for _anyone?_ She glanced over at the drama queen to see that she was smirking back at her. Her lips moved in a silent statement and Gabriella caught what they said:

_He's mine. Back off._

Gabriella just smiled and looked at her hands, waiting to hear the start of the song that Sharpay had somehow gotten a hold of without Gabriella's knowledge. Would it be the short duet that her and Troy had sang with Kelsei that day that they got a call back? Or would it a song from the actual musical?

What she heard next made her heart skip a beat.

**AN: sight reading*- to play/sing something that you've never seen or looked over before. Okay so I know I left you guys on a cliff hanger, but to be honest you guys already know what's going to be on the P.A right? Lol If not, you'll see in the next chapter!**


	5. Catastrophe

"_Well…there is one that I've liked for a while that I want to use, but I don't think I should."_

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat as she heard her own soft voice over the announcements. Her brow furrowed and she glanced over at Sharpay to see that she was staring straight at Gabriella with an all too familiar smirk on her face.

"_Why not? What is it called?"_

Gabriella gasped as she heard Kelsei's reply. Gabriella caught the small girls eye and they both winced as they realized what conversation this was and what Gabriella was going to end up saying. But how had it gotten on the announcements?

_"Well…it's a love song and I don't want anyone to guess who it's for."_

Gabriella's breathing began to speed up and she began to tremble, staring at Kelsei in panic and horror, her own expression mirrored in Kelsei's.

_"Who is it for?"_

_"Does it matter?"_

Gabriella could almost hear the embarrassment in her voice as she answered Kelsei's question with one of her own. Gabriella glanced over at Troy, but he was listening intently, staring straight ahead in bewilderment. Gabriella wasn't sure what his reaction would be.

_"No, of course not. I was just curious, is all."_

Kelsei had tears running down her face and Gabriella felt a sense of anger build deep inside her. _Kelsei_ had done this? Gabriella couldn't believe that she had trusted the girl with her secrets. How could she have been so stupid to believe that she had real friends here?

_"It's for Troy."_

There was a millisecond of silence as she heard the clinking of teacups, then;

_"D-don't tell anyone, please."_

Gabriella's eyes grew wide in horror as she heard herself utter the words that she never wanted anyone to know, especially not Troy. She sent a hurt look in Kelsei's direction and struggled to keep her tears of hurt and embarrassment where they belonged, the last thing she needed was to be known as a cry baby too. Taylor turned to look at her, her expression shocked. Gabriella just shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, panic making the world spin.

When she opened her eyes again she was aware of everyone else's eyes on her and Gabriella wished more then anything that the ground would suck her into a black hole and she would never be seen again. Regardless of her wish, she stayed in the classroom and Gabriella forced herself to find the face that she wanted very much to see, even though she was embarrassed.

Troy's expression was a mixture of feelings. Gabriella found confusion, dis-belief, joy, and for some reason, embarrassment, hidden in his features. His mouth was hanging open a little bit, as if he were to ask her a question. A question that Gabriella didn't want to hear in a million years.

Gabriella rose to her feet, tearing her eyes from Troy's face, and was about to run from the room when a wave of dizziness caused her to stumble in place.

"Help." She breathed, reaching out blindly. Her vision blurred, and spun, fading into black. The last thing she saw was Troy's worried expression.

* * *

Dead silence filled the classroom as the announcement ended and Troy felt his heart thump in his chest. Had Gabriella just said what she had thought he had just said? Had she just said that she liked him? Did she know that he liked her too? Was this all just a scam to embarrass him?

All of the questions made his heart thud harder and in the silence, he turned to look at Gabriella. She looked absolutely horrified. She was glaring at Kelsei, glaring like he had never seen her do before. Come to think of it, he had never seen her glare at _anyone_ before, let alone quiet little Kelsei.

She glanced at Taylor for a moment, shaking her head slightly, and then closed her eyes, upset. She opened them a few seconds later and then her eyes met his, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He could see tears in her eyes and he wanted, desperately, to run to her and hug her as hard as he could. He wanted to tell her that he had liked her, no _loved_ her since he had first set eyes on her, and that he hadn't had the courage to say it himself.

She got to her feet, then, and before Troy had even registered what had happened, her eyes closed and she was on the classroom floor, completely unconscious. Troy jumped up and was at her side before anyone else had even gotten to their feet. He cradled her head on his lap and stroked the curls back from her forehead. Her skin was cold and clammy and he started to call her name in hopes to get her to wake up.

Troy lost sense of the time as he stared down at Gabriella's motionless face, praying that she would wake up. Then all of a sudden the school nurse was there and before Troy could protest she had been taken to the nurses office and class resumed.

* * *

Later on that evening Gabriella sat on her bed, staring down at her textbook in an attempt to study, but her mind was far away from Chemistry. She had been sent home from school because the nurse had said that she had a touch of a fever and didn't want the other students around her in case it was contagious.

Taylor had called her earlier on to make sure that she was okay but Gabriella had ended the call only minutes in, saying she didn't feel like talking now. Taylor had understood and told her that she'd see her in class tomorrow before leaving Gabriella to her thoughts.

Gabriella jumped as her cell phone rang and she made sure to look at the caller ID, expexting it to be Taylor again.

**1 New Call: Troy Cell**

Gabriella debated while it rang again. She wanted to talk to him, but she also wanted to avoid him. What was she supposed to do? The decision was made for her when it rang another time before stopping abruptly. Gabriella put the phone with her Chemistry book on her desk and then climbed into bed, curling into a tiny ball.

Sobs racked her body and Gabriella didn't conceal them as tears ran down her cheeks and onto her pillow. All Gabriella had ever wanted was to make friends and to fit in for once. She couldn't help it if she had fallen head-over-heels for a boy with a dazzling smile that knocked the wind out of her. Troy had a control over her that was so strong that it scared her sometimes, but Gabriella hadn't thought to do anything about it. Now because of him she had lost whatever reputation she had had at school and was broken. Gabriella's sobs turned into whimpers and she let sleep take her into it's realm, hoping that it would be a dreamless night.

**AN: So how was that? Not too bad I hope! I know it was sort of a slow chapter, and there's going to be a few more like that, so I'm sorry, but trust me, it will DEFINITLY be worth it in the end, I promise! R&R people!!**


	6. Misery

_Oh, why does everyone have to be staring at me? Why can't they just leave me alone! It's been three days. When is it going to die down?_

Gabriella's thoughts ran wild as she walked into school on Friday morning. It had been three days since that embarrassing revelation on the PA system and the school was still buzzing about what they had heard. Since that day Gabriella had been avoiding everyone, especially Troy. She ate her lunch by herself, hiding outside amidst the cars in the parking lot. She moved daily and so far no one had found her, but that didn't mean that she hadn't heard the cruel whispers and rumours that were flying around the school.

Kelsei had struggled to try to find Gabriella and talk to her but each time Gabriella cut her off and made up some excuse to leave. Eventually Kelsei had given up the hunt, sending Gabriella hurt looks, which Gabriella absorbed and beat herself up inside about. But Gabriella couldn't confront Kelsei and ask her why she had done it, simply because Gabriella already knew the answer; she had done it because she thought Gabriella was some loser, who deserved to be punished. That's how it went with her 'friends' at all of the other schools. Why should this one be any different?

Troy, on the other hand, had not been so easy to shake. It didn't help that he knew where she lived. More than once he had followed her home and tried to talk to her, but Gabriella always pretended that she hadn't heard him calling her name, when in reality, she had tears running down her cheeks.

Gabriella walked into class even though it was still another twenty minutes until class started, and settled down to study her notes. She was already a straight A student and Gabriella didn't have to worry about her marks, but still she studied more than she needed to.

_You can never study too much._ She thought as she highlighted a certain passage on her paper. _Oh who am I kidding? Only losers spend all of their free time studying. _

Gabriella jumped as someone close to her cleared their throat. Gabriella looked up and then sighed in relief as she realized it was only the ever so disorganized Ms Darbus.

"Ahhh, studying again, are we Miss Montez?" She boomed in her loud dramatic voice.

Gabriella nodded meekly and fiddled with her highlighter. Ms Darbus studied the quiet, petite girl in front of her and it was quiet for a moment and the older woman collected her thoughts.

"I can't imagine how horrible you must be feeling, what with the announcement the other day, but you know, your friends don't hate you, and apparently neither does Mr Bolton. Just because some reckless teenager played that recording, it doesn't mean that your life is over. It means that it's just beginning. It gives you a chance to start fresh and tell the world that you mean business. You are a very wonderful person, and you deserve the best in life. But you can't get anywhere if you don't _try_, Miss Montez."

Gabriella bit her lip as she took in what her teacher had just told her. Gabriella had to admit that she was right about not getting anywhere without trying, but Gabriella didn't have the courage to try in the first place, now after this, how could she even have the courage to get up in the morning? Gabriella sighed.

"May I call my mom, Ms Darbus? I don't feel so well." She whispered, lowering her head as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Yes, go ahead." Ms Darbus replied, realizing that Gabriella did look a little pale.

Gabriella walked out of the classroom and dialled her mom on her cell phone, and asked permission to come home. Her mom agreed and Gabriella grabbed her things from the classroom to go wait by the office for her mother to arrive to sign her out.

The car ride home was quiet and Gabriella appreciated the time to think about what she was going to do. At least now she had the whole weekend to think of a plan! That was a positive side.

As the car pulled into the driveway Gabriella knew she was in for a talk when her mother turned off the car, but turned so that she was facing her daughter.

"So what's going on Bella? You've seemed very upset for the past few days. Why?"

Gabriella swallowed a lump in her throat and took a shaky breath.

"I-I'm not sure where to start…a few things happened." She got out. Maria Montez reached over and took a hold of her daughter's hand, which was shaking.

"How about at the beginning?"

It all came out, then. Gabriella explained how things had been between her and Troy in the musical, how much she had gotten used to his presence, how she had gotten closer to Taylor and all of the other girls. She told her mother how she had been signed up for the contest by Sharpay. She confessed about her feelings for Troy, even though her mother knew already. Then finally she told her mother what had happened with the PA announcement and how she felt betrayed by her friends.

"All I wanted to do was fit in and finally have some friends. Why does it have to backfire every time I try?" Gabriella finished, crying openly now.

Maria engulfed Gabriella in an awkward hug and kiss her forehead, her heart throbbing painfully as Gabriella sobbed out her troubles.

"What do I do mom?" Gabriella pleaded, wiping her tears on the edge of her sweater.

"Well this whole thing was about Troy right?"

Gabriella nodded, sniffling a bit.

"So why don't you just let him talk to you and see how it goes from there? Maybe Troy will like you too!"

Gabriella laughed bitterly.

"Troy? Like me? Good one mom." Gabriella mumbled, getting out of the car to go to the house, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.

Maria sighed and followed her disheartened daughter into the house, wanting so much to help her. She knew that Troy was absolutely head-over-heels in love with Gabriella, and everyone _but_ Gabriella saw. Maria knew that Gabriella needed a serious boost of self confidence, but didn't know how to give it to her.

Maria let her thoughts drift off as she watched Gabriella stumble up the stairs to her room.

_Help her, please, somebody help her._

**AN: So? How was that? Not too bad I hope. This chapter was just to put Gabriella's spin on everything, it'll start to pick as far as Troyella drama goes. And just to clear things up; Kelsei didn't give the recording to the PA thing, it was Sharpay, but Gabriella doesn't know that, obviously. R&R people!!!**


	7. Making Amends

Troy kept his eyes glued to the head of chestnut curls, struggling to get through the thick crowds. It had been four days since the announcement and Gabriella hadn't returned any of his calls or texts, even when he had tried to talk to her in person, she pretended she didn't hear him calling out to her. His only option now was to go right up to her and corner so that he could tell her what he wanted to say. The only problem was that he didn't _know_ what he wanted to say. His head was telling him one thing and then his heart was telling him the exact opposite. Which one was he supposed to listen to? Troy hadn't figured it out yet.

Troy slipped in between two cheerleaders and then dodged a few kids throwing paper airplanes at each other. It was the beginning of lunch and Troy knew that he had to hurry before she got to the cafeteria or he'd lose his chance to approach her.

He could almost hear the imaginary clock ticking and he almost ran through the crowds in an effort to reach her in time. He passed through the cafeteria doors and made a grab for her arm…missing by an inch. He made another swipe but she was gone and Troy lost sight of her in the crowds. Troy groaned in frustration and ran his hands through his hair, drawing the attention of a few cheerleaders.

He stomped over to where Chad, Zeke, and Jason were sitting, stuffing his sandwich in his mouth as he tried to find Gabriella again. No such luck. He hadn't really expected to find her in the cafeteria. He wasn't sure where she disappeared off to at lunch, all he knew is that he had searched every corner of the school and hadn't found her. Troy sighed and shoved his food down his throat. All he wanted was to tell Gabriella that he loved her. Was that so difficult?

* * *

Gabriella darted into the cafeteria at the start of lunch and grabbed a carton of milk. The rest of her lunch was waiting in her locker, but she hadn't brought a drink. She hurriedly paid for it and then rushed out of the crowded room before anyone saw her. She wasn't fast enough though. Before she had even gotten out of the cafeteria she heard footsteps approach her and Gabriella quickened her steps in hopes to out-walk her opponent, but to no avail.

"Gabi! Wait up!" Taylor cried, skidding to a stop beside her best friend. Gabriella kept her head down and kept walking.

"I have to go." She mumbled.

"No you don't, it's lunch time, and don't say you have a rehearsal because I know you're not talking to Kelsei and she's really upset about it. Gabriella, despite what you're thinking, no one hates you. It's blown over, and the only person who cares anymore is Sharpay and I'll make sure she doesn't bug you okay?" Taylor rattled off. "Please stop running from us!"

"Tay, I can't just forget about this. Everyone knows now, _Troy_ knows now, and I have a really hard time dealing with that. You know that I really like him, Taylor, I can't just not react now. I've been avoiding him because I don't know what to do."

"I know Gabs. But you know what? Troy likes you too! You don't realize it because you don't _want_ to see it. He's practically head-over-heels for you! Take a chance and talk to him about it! You won't regret it, I promise."

Gabriella thought hard about it. She did want all of this to be over and she wanted to go back to the easy friendship that she had shared with Taylor, Kelsei and especially Troy. But no matter how much she wished, she knew that something had changed as far as Troy went and that thought made her sigh.

"I don't know, Tay." She said quietly. "I just don't know."

The two of them had been walking down the hallway and now they stopped as someone cut them off. That someone turned out to be Kelsei.

"Oh hey Taylor!" She greeted. She looked shyly at Gabriella. "Hi Gabriella. How are you?"

"I'm fine thanks. Yourself?" Gabriella said in a tight voice.

"I'm good." She murmured.

"I'll leave you two." Taylor said, slipping off down the hallway.

It was quiet for a moment and Gabriella sighed, fiddling with the cool carton of milk.

"Was it you Kels?" She asked, her voice broken and sad.

"No. I've been trying to tell you. I meant what I said, I would never do that to you. But I know who _did_ do it. It was Sharpay. I found out from Ryan." Kelsei said, wringing her hands nervously.

Gabriella looked at the upset girl beside her and then nodded.

"Well in that case I owe you a _huge_ apology. I'm really sorry for blaming you for the tape recorder. That was really mean of me. If there's anything that I can do to make it up to you then let me know okay?" Gabriella said, sincerely.

Kelsei smiled.

"I was never mad at you, Gabriella, just upset and confused. And actually there is something that you can do for me."

"Name it." Gabriella replied, smiling a bit herself.

"Let me help you with this song! Let's wow Troy right out of his seat! That way you won't have to tell him yourself, the song will do it for you! All you would have to do would be to look at him for the things that you want to say to him, and he'll get the message. Despite being a jock, he's smart!"

Gabriella had to laugh. How could she ever have thought that sweet, innocent, little Kelsei had ever done something like this? But then again Gabriella seemed to always be jumping to the wrong conclusion.

"If you're still willing to help me after I've been so cruel to you, then I'm in." Gabriella agreed.

Kesei smiled and the two of them began to walk towards the music room.

"Let's do this."

**AN: Alright so how was that? Not too bad I hope! It's starting to get to the end now! There's going to be some major Troyella drama coming up! R&R people! I love hearing from you!**


	8. The Day Before

"Alright so try it from…the start of the second verse again. You're doing great!" Kelsei encouraged, poising her hands over the keys of the piano. "Are you ready?"

Gabriella took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She said, smiling over at Kelsei. Kelsei waited for a few more seconds and then began to play a few bars before Gabriella was due to come in.

_When we're together I feel perfect._

_When I'm pulled away from you,_

_I fall apart._

_All you say is sacred to me._

_Your eyes are so blue,_

_I can't look away._

Kelsei stopped playing abruptly and turned to Gabriella. Gabriella raised an eyebrow and bit her lip.

"What? Did I mess up really bad?"

"No, not at all…but Gabriella, the competition is tomorrow. I just realized that."

Gabriella felt herself go numb and she squeaked out a sound of surprise. It was tomorrow? That meant the tomorrow everyone would hear Gabriella's second confession to liking Troy! Gabriella's nerves shot through the roof and her face twisted into a mask of panic and uncertainty.

"_Tomorrow?!_ Are you kidding? Oh my God, I'm not ready to go. I have so much to work on!" She wailed, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the piano where Kelsei was still sitting.

"Gabriella, it's going to be fine! You're really good at this song and all this practicing is paying off! And you have nothing that you can work on! Just make sure you drink a lot, get some sleep, and pick out a cute outfit for the show tomorrow! We don't have school tomorrow so you don't have to worry about getting through your classes. And remember, you'll only actually be on stage for a few minutes, long enough to sing your song, and then you're done! You can do this, Gabriella, I know you can." Kelsei rattled off, getting up to stand by her friend.

Gabriella bit her lip and tried to believe what Kelsei was telling her but found it hard to convince herself. She was scared to go on stage, especially now since everyone knew about her crush on Troy and she knew that as soon as she started singing the song for the competition everyone would know who it was for, which she hadn't planned on happening. Gabriella was not one for being the center of attention and she was going to have a hard enough just getting up on stage by herself and singing, let alone being laughed at and whispered at by the members of the audience.

"Come on Gabriella, it's okay." Kelsei said quietly, patting her on the shoulder. "We'll practice all you want tomorrow before the show okay? You'll be fine! Okay? So again from the top…"

* * *

Troy chucked the ball at Chad and then dashed forward so he could take the pass from Chad again, dunking it through the net and then pumped his fist in victory as the final buzzer went off.

"Yes!" He cried and then crouched as he was taken up in a group huddle. The coach blew his whistle and all of the basketball jogged over to where he was standing on the sidelines.

"Alright team, awesome practice!" Coach Bolton yelled. "Now if you play like that in any game we're sure to win the title of champions again! Shower up!"

Before Troy knew what was happening the practice was over, he was showered, and now he stood alone in the abandoned school hallways listening to a very familiar voice. A voice that made his heart flutter in his chest.

Gabriella was singing.

He couldn't quite catch the words that she was singing but he didn't need to. He closed his eyes and leaned against the cool metal of the lockers, drinking up her voice like a thirsty man would drink up water. Troy felt goose bumps settle on his skin as her voice soared to a higher note and held it with a slight vibrato. Troy smiled and imagined how she must be looking right now.

He envisioned that she would be standing up straight, a hand on her diaphragm, her eyes closed, and her mouth in a wide grin. He had seen her like this many times before in rehearsals for the musical. Singing was her element and he knew that as long as she had people to cheer her on for what she believed in, she would be alright.

The voice died out and Troy was quiet for a few moments before he realized that the song was over. Troy opened his eyes and then tip-toed down the hallway, creeping up to the music room door so he could look in the window.

Gabriella stood next to the piano and was smiling at Kelsei, her eyes dancing with the thrill of singing the song perfectly and all the way through without stopping. Gabriella said something that didn't reach Troy's ears and he heard her quiet tinkle of a laugh along with Kelsei's.

Troy sighed and then snuck back down the hallway before they caught him at the door. The last thing he wanted was to shatter the peace that Gabriella seemed to have a hard time finding these days. He exited the school and then casually leaned against the wall, preparing to wait as long as he needed to until she came out of the school.

It turned out he didn't have to wait very long. Gabriella swung the doors open not even fifteen minutes after. He waited until he was sure that Kelsei wasn't with her and then pushed himself away from the wall and over to her.

"Gabriella!" He called out in greeting.

Gabriella yelped in surprise and whipped around to see who had called her name. A hesitant smile spread over her face followed by a delicate blush.

"You startled me, Troy." Was all she said.

Troy smiled at her and took a few steps towards her, but left a good distance in between her so he wouldn't be tempted to reach over and stroke her hair or to wrap his arms around her, like he was a longing to do even now.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" He asked, saying the first thing that came to his head. Gabriella closed her eyes for a moment and then nodded, beginning to fiddle with the sheet music in her hand.

"As ready as I can be." She mumbled. Her eyes darted to his for a moment and then she looked at the ground as he tried to read her expression.

"Do you want to go and grab a snack with me and we can talk?" Troy asked, praying she would say yes.

It was quiet for a moment and the only sound they could hear was the swaying of the trees in the wind and the sound of their breathing as Gabriella deliberated.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea Troy. I know what you want to talk about…actually the whole school does…a-and I just don't think that I can deal with that right now. Now with the show tomorrow. It's too much for me to deal with right now. I'm sorry Troy." She replied, her expression heartbroken.

Troy nodded and smiled at her when she looked up. He hadn't expected her to say yes, but he was glad that she didn't say flat-out no. It was better then that. There was an awkward silence for a moment and then Gabriella sighed.

"I'd better be going, I want to get some homework done. I'll see you around, Troy." Gabriella mumbled, smiling shyly at him and then walking past him towards her house a few blocks away.

"It was nice talking to you, Gabriella! Good luck tomorrow!" Troy called out after her. She turned around to smile and wave before continuing on her way. Troy grinned and stood there long after she was out of sight, marvelling at the way she knew how to make his heart pound just by smiling at him.

* * *

It was later on that night and Troy was sitting on his bed in his room, tossing his stuffed basketball from hand to hand as he replayed his brief conversation with Gabriella over and over in his head. The feelings he felt towards her scared him sometimes but it reminded himself it was worth it because Gabriella was a catch of a lifetime. A catch that, if Troy was able to be with her, he would never let slip from his grasp.

A melody emitting from his cell phone caused him to break out of his thoughts and grab his phone to look at the screen.

**One new text message: Gabriella **

Troy's eyebrows raised and he opened the message with shaking fingers.

_If you still want to talk, meet me after the show 2morrow. –G_

Troy beamed and sent out a silent prayer of thanks. He then hit the reply button and typed in a quick message.

_I'll be there._

**AN: Yay! So the next chapter's going to be all about the show…it should be pretty good and I hope you all enjoy it! R&R people!**


	9. Bundle Of Nerves

The nerves were already high and the day had barely even started. Gabriella stood in the bathroom, finding faults in everything that she looked at in her reflection. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, anger and frustration. Why was everything going so wrong? Why did everyone keep staring at her and talking about like she wasn't even there? Well Gabriella _was_ there and she heard everything that was said about her. She remembered how many times she had been picked on in schools but this had to be the worst. She was being bothered by who she had a crush on. Gabriella had never felt this way about anyone before. Sure she had had a few crushes on various boys but Troy was something completely different and she knew it.

Excitement joined the nervous butterflies in her stomach as she recalled Troy's answer to the text message she had sent yesterday. It was only three words but was enough to make Gabriella smile. At least she would get to see him tomorrow. She didn't have much to say, but, it would be worth the embarrassment just to see his smile.

Gabriella quickly took down her hair from her hair elastic and shook her head to get it down the way she wanted it. The chestnut curls fell to halfway down her back and Gabriella parted her hair in the middle and gave it a run through with her brush. Gabriella smiled at her reflection and then opened the door to get to her room down the hall. She passed her mom on the way and Maria was surprised as her daughter chirped a good morning to her and offered a flashing smile.

Gabriella hurried for her bed as she heard her cell phone ring. She didn't bother to look at the caller ID before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Gabs! When do you want to meet to practice?"

"Morning Kels. How about we meet in half an hour? Then it'll give us two hours to practice and a little while after that for me to get ready."

"Sure thing! How are you holding up? Are you nervous yet?"

"I've been nervous for a while, but I'm excited too. I agreed to meet Troy after the show so we can talk. It should be interesting, seeing as he already knows what I want to talk about."

"Gabriella that's great! I'll bet he's really excited that you agreed!"

Gabriella giggled a bit at Kelsei's reaction and picked at a loose thread on her jeans.

"I wonder what he's going to say. I know that you seem to think that he likes me but what if it's just some mistake? What if he doesn't really like me?"

Kelsei sighed and Gabriella bit her lip in sudden insecurity. Gabriella hadn't heard Troy confess that he actually liked her, but then again, Gabriella hadn't been around him long enough to hear him say it, recently.

"But maybe you're right. I don't know. But I'll see you in about half an hour okay?" Gabriella added, glancing at her watch.

"Okay. And make sure you bring something to drink!"

Gabriella hung up the phone and began to gather her things together, all the while thinking about Troy. She picked up the dress she had picked out for the competition and looked it over carefully, scanning it for any flaws. She had had it for a few uses but had never worn it before. She held it up to herself in the mirror and smiled, wondering what Troy would think when he saw her. She wouldn't have to wait to long to find out.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, look at how many people there are." Gabriella moaned, fanning herself with the program of the competition. The theatre was packed and Gabriella's nerves shot through the roof as she saw her mother in the audience, talking to Taylor's mother. Taylor herself was beside Gabriella, and Kelsei on the other side. Taylor took the program from Gabriella's hand and scanned the list of names, trying to figure out where they were in the show.

"Gabi, you'll be fine, and besides, it's almost your turn so you can go and get it over with okay?" Taylor said, jabbing her finger to where they were in the program.

Gabriella took the paper from Taylor and scanned it, realizing that after this performer there would be one other, and then herself. Gabriella was closing up the show, a fact that made her head hurt in nervousness. Kelsei had gone over the song with Gabriella for two hours straight and told her repeatedly that she was ready, but despite Kelsei's reassurances Gabriella was sure that her voice would break and everyone would laugh at her.

She hadn't seen Troy yet but then again she had told him to meet her after the show.

_Why would he want to come and watch me sing? He's probably just as humiliated as I am._ She thought.

Still, she searched the audience and felt her hopes lift a bit when she saw the cloud of hair that belonged to Troy's best friend and Taylor's boyfriend, Chad. If Chad was here maybe Troy was too.

Gabriella let the curtain fall back into place and hurried over to a mirror to inspect her reflection. Her hair was in its natural chestnut curls, falling over her shoulders and framing her face. She had applied a thing coat of make up, and now she was regretting it. What if she started crying? Then her mascara would run and she'd look even more like a fool. Gabriella quickly turned her gaze to her dress and bit her lip. The dress was white and went well with her hair. It was strapless and was decorated with a scatter of green flowers. There was a green ribbon going around her waist from which the dress fanned out to about her knees. A pair of white flats perfected the outfit and Gabriella closed her eyes for a moment.

"Gabs, you look fine!" Taylor assured her, smiling. "You're going to do great. You know you are."

Gabriella just nodded and struggled to keep her tears from falling from her eyes. Kelsei handed Gabriella a CD and gave her a quick hug.

"This is the song. I recorded it so it's just the way we practiced it. Just sing along with it and remember to breathe okay?" Kelsei advised with a smile.

Gabriella nodded again and clutched the plastic sleeve in her hands so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Number twenty!" A loud voice called out. Gabriella was jolted into reality and squeaked in alarm.

"That's you!" Taylor cried, giving her friend a shove towards one of the wings.

"Break a leg!" Kelsei added and with that Gabriella handed the CD to the guy in charge of the music and walked onto the stage with a surge of confidence.

**AN: Okay so I was evil and I decided to leave you on a mini cliffy. This chapter was intended to go until the end of the show but it got to being too long. So I cut it in two. Anyways, R&R and I'll get the next part up! If anyone wants to see the dress that Gabriella is wearing there's a picture in my profile!**


	10. The Kiss

Eyes. Thousands of them staring. Staring at _her._

Gabriella swallowed and took a deep breath before gesturing for the music to start. The familiar intro played and Gabriella stared over the heads pointed at her, to the back wall lost in the darkness. Feeling calmer, she licked her lips and started to sing.

_The words have been drained from this pencil._

_Sweet words that I want to give you._

_And I can't sleep,_

_I need to tell you,_

_Goodnight._

It was getting easier now. Gabriella let the music take over her mind and focussed solely on the piano playing, making sure she kept pace with the music.

_When we're together I feel perfect._

_When I'm pulled away from you,_

_I fall apart._

_All you say is sacred to me._

_Your eyes are so blue,_

_I can't look away._

Whispers, giggles, and squeals erupted in the audience and caused Gabriella's heart to stutter, but she continued the song, refusing to let the tittering get to her.

_As we lay in the stillness,_

_You whisper to me._

_'Baby, marry me,_

_Promise you'll stay with me'_

_Oh you don't have to ask me_

_You know you're all that I live for._

The whispers had just about died down now and for that she was grateful. Her voice was steady and sure now, she was comfortable with what she was doing and what she was singing.

_You know I'd die, just to hold you_

_Stay with you._

_Somehow I'll show you,_

_That you are my night sky,_

_I've always been right behind you._

_Now I'll always be right beside you._

Gabriella lowered the microphone as the instrumental took over and Gabriella found her confidence growing higher. So high that she decided to take a chance and look around the audience.

Big mistake.

As soon as all of the faces registered in her head she felt her breathing speed up and tears well in her eyes again. What was she thinking performing in front of an audience? She shouldn't have let Troy talk her into this.

Troy. Where was Troy?

Gabriella searched the crowd with a purpose this time, struggling to find the face that she wanted to see the most. She knew that she wouldn't have the courage to sing the end of the piece without seeing his face, a fact that made her nervous. She couldn't just walk off stage in the middle of the piece. That would be worse then just standing there for the rest of it. What was she going to do?

"Gabs!" A whisper caught her attention and her eyes snapped to the front row where it had come from.

A sigh of relief passed through her lips as her eyes met the familiar blue ones of Troy. Gabriella struggled to control her hitched breathing as she stared at him, wanting to finish the song.

Troy smiled at her and nodded in encouragement. Gabriella bit her lip, trying to find where she was in the music. She still had a few bars until she was due to come in and Gabriella took a few deep breaths, struggling to get her emotions and heart under control.

Troy leaned forward in his seat and moved his lips in a silent statement.

_I love you._

Gabriella gasped quietly and she knew her eyes showed her surprise. Troy grinned again and winked at her. Gabriella was able to blink and then realized she had to continue with the song. She put the microphone to her mouth and began to sing the last verse.

_So many nights,_

_I've cried myself to sleep._

_Now that you love me,_

_I love myself._

With a sudden spark of realization Gabriella understood that what she had just sang was now entirely true. She remembered countless nights that she had fallen asleep in tears because she had been ignored and humiliated at school, and had wished she were anyone else _but_ her.

_I never thought I would say that._

_I never thought there'd be you._

Her eyes had stayed glued to Troy the whole time she had sung the last verse and Gabriella now knew that Kelsei had been right. Troy knew that Gabriella had sung the whole song for him, and only him. Troy's smile was infectious and Gabriella felt herself smiling, her eyes still on him even as the audience erupted in cheers and whistles.

Troy stood up, clapping and now Gabriella glanced around, realizing that half the audience were standing and whistling for her. Gabriella giggled and curtsied, feeling self conscious. She wasn't used to so much attention and wasn't sure if she wanted it or not. She grinned and curtsied again as she heard Chad chanting her name.

Gabriella searched for Troy again, only to realize that he wasn't in his seat, but had jumped onto the stage and was a few feet away from her on her right. Gabriella locked eyes with him and then without realizing what she was doing she ran to him and threw her arms around him to hug him tightly. Troy held her to him and ran his fingers through her hair, chuckling quietly in her ear.

The audience 'ahhhh'ed and Gabriella laughed, pulling away from the hug even though she didn't want to. She glanced into the sea of faces and then felt a gentle touch on her cheek. She looked up at Troy and saw him smiling down at her with a knowing smile on his face.

He moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and tilted her face up, watching her carefully. When she didn't pull away he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

The crowd went wild-literally-but Gabriella hardly heard them, she was so happy. Troy pulled away a few seconds later and then kissed her forehead, pulling her against him.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He whispered in her ear.

"Actually I do." She replied, with a small smile.

Troy laughed and then released her as the crowd starting chanting for them to kiss again.

Gabriella curtsied once more, then hurried off stage, her cheeks the colour of tomatoes. Taylor squealed and grabbed her best friend in a tight hug.

"Oh my Gosh Gabi! What a way to go!!" She shrieked.

Gabriella giggled and blushed even more, if possible.

Kelsei hugged her friend too and whispered that she had done an amazing job with song, especially the last verse.

"The finale was great too." She added, with a wink.

Gabriella pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks, with a moan of embarrassment and then jumped a bit as two arms went around her waist from behind.

"Sorry." Troy mumbled, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"It's fine." Gabriella replied glaring at Taylor as she whistled and then darted off with Kelsei in tow.

Gabriella turned around in his embrace, wrapping her arms around him. Troy kissed the top of her head and then stroked her hair a few times, the two of them revelling at what had just happened.

"So…if Sharpay hadn't spilled the secret…would you ever have told me?" He asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

Gabriella smiled and blushed a little.

"Who knows?" She replied. "Maybe…maybe not. Does it matter?"

"Not anymore." Troy said, leaning to brush his lips across hers. "Now you still up for that talk?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Gabriella replied, meaning every word.

**AN: Yeah okay so the ending was a bit crappy but how was the chapter? Yay for TROYELLA!!! They are officially a couple now…how awesome is that? Okay so I have one more chapter to write and then it is finito! Thanks for reading and pleeeease review!**

**And for any of you who were wondering, the song that I used is called "You" and it's by Evanescence. There's a link in my profile if you want to hear it! It's an amazing song and I love it to death!**


	11. Troyella

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Gabriella?" Troy asked, sauntering up to Taylor and Kelsei.

"I thought she was with you…" Taylor said, confused. Troy sighed and looked questioningly at Kelsei who shrugged as well.

Troy flipped open his cell phone and read his last text from Gabriella in a cloud of uncertainty.

_I'm hanging with Tay for a bit, but I'll come find you when I'm done k? G xox_

Lunch time was just about over and still Gabriella hadn't come. Now it seemed that she had been lying. Troy's mind was racing, trying to figure out why she would lie to him. He knew that it had to be something serious or else she would have just told him the truth. Gabriella hated lying and Troy was sure that whatever was up with her wasn't going to be good.

"I'm sure she's fine, Troy." Taylor said, realizing that he was worried about their friend. "She probably just had to run out and do something and forgot to tell you?"

"No. Look at this."

Troy passed Taylor his cell phone and the two girls both read the text on the screen. Taylor sighed and passed it back to him, looking confused herself.

"I haven't seen Gabriella since homeroom, I'm not sure why she would have said that. If we see her we'll tell her that you're looking for her okay?"

"Alright, thanks Taylor. See you all later."

With a wave, Troy turned around and began to walk the halls aimlessly again, not understanding why Gabriella was hiding from everyone. Since the concert a few days before Gabriella had seemed happier then ever and Troy had assumed that everything was alright, but obviously it hadn't been.

Troy caught himself as he stumbled over something and cursed himself for being so wrapped up in his thoughts.

"Crap, sorry ab-"

Troy stopped talking abruptly as he met the watery eyes of Gabriella. Troy knelt down beside her and gently wrapped his arms around her, letting her cling to him. He felt her shaking and began to stroke her hair, trying to let her know that he was here for her, but not being over pushy.

"I-I feel horrible, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you, b-but I didn't want you to worry, and I was going to-"

"Shhhhhh." Troy cut her off and kissed her forehead. "Forget about it, I'm not angry. What's wrong, Brie?"

"N-nothing, I just got a fright, that's all, nothing to worry about. I'm just calming down."

"What gave you a fright?" He asked, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"N-nothing." Gabriella mumbled, resting her head against his shoulder. "It's not important."

"I'll be the judge of that." Troy said, his heart skipping a beat as she managed a small smile. "Now who do I have to beat up?" He added, only joking.

Gabriella didn't catch on that it was a joke and her eyes grew wide in alarm.

"No you can't beat him up! I'm sure he didn't mean it!" She cried, clutching one of his hands tightly.

"Who? I can't beat up who?"

Gabriella shut her mouth and looked down at her lap to keep herself from being persuaded by the emotion and tenderness in his eyes. Troy, however, had a way around that. He pulled her against his chest and rested his cheek on the top of her head, waiting until she relaxed a bit, before leaning down to kiss her gently.

"I'm sorry, Gabi. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. If you say it's not a big deal, then I'm sure it isn't."

"Don't apologize, Troy, I don't think it's a big deal but that's because it didn't strike me as odd, but I think that you might get mad because of it."

"What happened?" Troy prompted, worry clouding his eyes.

"I was walking to meet you and everyone else for lunch when I ran into a few of the boys on the football team."

Gabriella paused to reach up and touch his cheek lightly with the tip of her finger.

"Don't get angry." She murmured. "One of them started talking to me and I said that I needed to go to meet you and he said 'Why would you want him when you've got me?' a-and he…"

Gabriella trailed off and pressed into Troy once again with a shudder.

"He did some things that we're exactly school appropriate." She finished a second later, glancing up at him.

Troy's eyes darkened to a dark blue and a muscle jumped in his cheek. He clenched a hand into a fist and then unclenched it again, before sighing and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked, keeping his fury out of his voice. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, just gave me a fright." She replied confidently.

"Why didn't you find it odd?" Troy asked in confusion. "You said that it didn't seem like a big deal to you. Why?"

"Well…they've been eyeing me a few times when I've walked by, but it's always been with you, so they've never done anything."

"I'll make sure that they _never_ do anything again, okay Brie?"

"How are you going to do that?" Gabriella cried in alarm as Troy stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to talk to them." He replied simply, beginning to walk down the hall. Gabriella hurried to catch up to him and grabbed ahold of his arm.

"Troy! No! Just leave it be, please!" She begged, her eyes large.

"I won't allow them to bug anyone, especially you. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I'll come." She replied, moving closer to him as they started walking down the hall again.

As they turned the corner Gabriella began to shake and Troy looked at her, surprised when he saw that her face was calm and controlled, somewhat like his own.

"So she returns." One of the jocks commented, staring at her hungrily.

Troy's grip tightened around her waist and he glared at the offender.

"_She_ has a name, though you probably don't know it. I would appreciate it if you kept her hands off of her. She is a human being, not some animal. If I hear that you so much as _look_ at her again I can _personally_ guarantee that you won't have eyes to look through once I'm done with you. Clear?"

Without waiting for a reply Troy turned around and with Gabriella by his side he walked back the way he had come, leaving the football players shocked beyond belief.

They stopped a few meters at Gabriella's locker and she smiled up at Troy. He grinned back down at her, his eyes twinkling.

"Thank you Troy. That was very heroic of you to do." She said quietly, meaning every word.

Troy chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Anything for you, Brie." He said, punctuating it with a short kiss. "Anything for you."

**AN: Soooo it's done now! That was the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the story and thank you so much for sticking with me! Thanks for reading and please review!**


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